My Year in Books, Part II; The next 20 books.

1. Vanished by Kat Richardson

Part of the “Greywalker” series by this author, set in today's world (urban fantasy) with a great

female protagonist who unwittingly gains special abilities to see/exist in between this world and

the world of the dead after suffering a near death experience. Series centered around Seattle, WA. Harper investigates her past and seeks to communicate with the ghost of her dead father

to find out why he mysteriously vanished.

2. Abhorsen by Garth Nix

The third book in the Sabriel/Abhorsen trilogy, continuing to tell the story of Lirael, Sabriel and

her two children. (Zombies before zombies were a “cool” thing.)

 3. Labyrinth by Kat Richardson

Another interesting novel starring Harper Blaine who is a Greywalker, and Seattle P.I. Harper has returned from London after investigating her father's past and wants to find out who it was that originally 'killed' her, which resulted in her gaining extraordinary abilities to walk between the world of the living and the world of the dead.

4. The Dead Sea Scrolls by Verne Madsen

An interesting and readily understandable account and history of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

5. Downpour by Kat Richardson

More intrigue and investigating from the brave and independent Harper Blaine. Harper is “killed” again and discovers dark secrets about a mountain resort in the Olympic Peninsula (Washington State) and a place called Blood Lake.

6. Shipbreaker by Paolo Bacigaluppi

Another one that could be classified as Utopian Literature (as in a world gone wrong), I seem to like this genre as it gives me a lot to think about regarding society and how it is, was, or could become. Interesting world building and a bit of a brutal world, but good reading.

7. Princesses Behaving Badly By Linda Rodriguez McRobbie

This one is just like the title says, historic stories of royalty, specifically female royalty, with all the warts showing for all the world to see.

8. The Secret Rooms by Catherine Bailey (9^th Duke of Rutland)

Historical fact finding by a researcher who came upon a conundrum about a titled English

family and delved into the family secrets. Spoiler: The Duke wound up being a lamer and a coward of privilege, but still an interesting read as it seemed like a real life Gothic tale.

9. Eerie Britain #2 by M B Forde

A collection of ghost stories from the British Isles, which has a rich tradition of such stories.

10. Sabriel by Garth Nix

A backward way to finish out the Abhorsen trilogy by Nix, as this is actually the first novel of the series, but after reading Lirael and Abhorsen I went back and re-read the first book.

11. Seawitch by Kat Richardson (#7 Greywalker Series)

Another tale starring detective Harper Blaine, and the underworld of Seattle, a very enjoyable series. Harper investigates a 25 year old tale about the disappearance of a boat called the Seawitch, which leads to information about another ship's disappearance 100 years ago and the dark secrets surrounding the events.

12. Possession by Kat Richardson (#8 Greywalker Series)

A woman who has been in a coma suddenly wakes up and starts painting pictures of scenes that wind up being real places with some terrible stories attached to them. Strange writing also appears on her body. Thinking the woman is possessed, her sister, desperate for some answers to the unusual happenings, seeks the help of Greywalker, Harper Blaine.

13. Revenant by Kat Richardson (Last Greywalker novel)

Harper's niece is kidnapped in Portugal and she goes to investigate. She finds out more about her boyfriend's father and his nefarious dealings with the Ghost Division and learns more about the enigmatic vampire, Carlos, who is a trusted friend. (As you can see I was really interested in this series during the year.) I was bummed that this was the last book in the series as I wanted more!

14. The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigaluppi

Sequel to Shipbreaker, by the same author. It takes off with a side/continuing story about the super soldier/genetically engineered being that was introduced in the previous book. Still a pretty bleak world.

15. The Witch Finder and Other Stories by S. Baring Gould

I guess you either love or hate mid-eighteen hundreds writing, which can be rather wordy to wade through at times but I have read several works by this author and will continue to do so as I find them. For the most part, good Gothic genre tales, which interest me. Many of this author's works are free on kindle because there are no copyrights on this old stuff. Sometimes the

electronic formatting is second rate though.

16. Great Ghost Stories 2, another kindle freebie or one to be had for a small price such as 99 cents. I can't turn down most ghost stories but I am definitely not a fan of gore, so most of them that I read are old or from the wordy writers of the 1800's and rather more fantastical, anecdotal or psychological rather that gory.
    
    
    
    
    
17. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip

Could be considered a classic fantasy tale, with fantastical animals involved- a winner for me. Interesting and haunting main character.

18. The Woman with the Alabaster Jar by Margaret Starbird

The author puts forth the theory that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and expounds on

the royal blood line of Jesus explored in the book Holy Blood, Holy Grail and The DaVinci

Code.

19. The Encounter-Amazon Beaming by Petru Popescu

A rather mind boggling story of a man who was lost in the Amazon jungle and spent time living

with one of the tribes indigenous to the area. They could not understand each others spoken

language very well but the man, McIntyre, claims to have been able to communicate

telepathically with the tribal chief.

20. The Story of the Amulet by E. Nesbit

A children's oldie written in 1906, but still delightfully entertaining. A story about a mysterious

amulet, a strange animal and three siblings who travel to different periods in time learning

about times and places where the amulet has existed. Part of a trilogy.